Format in-text citations to generate a reference list in a variety of output styles; including Harvard, Vancouver and hundreds of others

Share your folders of references with colleagues and friends

RefWorks is a web-based package that can be used from any computer with an internet connection. It is particularly useful for undergraduates and taught-course postgraduates preparing projects and dissertations.

RefWorks is funded by Library Services and is a free service to our users.

Important information for Mac users: Write-N-Cite is not currently compatible with Word 2016 for Mac. Mac users should use One Line Cite View to insert citations into documents written in Word 2016, see RefWorks - using one line cite view (pdf).

RefWorks support

Create an account and log in

Creating an account

If you are a new user, log in to RefWorks with your College username and password to create your account.

You will be taken to the Create Account screen.

Enter your name and College email address in the boxes provided.

Select your Focus Area from the drop down menu options (e.g. engineering, life sciences).

Referencing non-standard material

RefWorks has a number of templates or RefTypes available to help you construct references, but sometimes you may need to create references for more unusual material for which there is no obvious RefType.

The Library has created a guide which describes how to use existing RefTypes to accommodate non-standard references using the Harvard style.

Write-N-Cite

Important information for Mac users: Write-N-Cite is not currently compatible with Word 2016 for Mac. Mac users should use One Line Cite View to insert citations into documents written in Word 2016, see RefWorks - using one line cite view (pdf) and One Line / Cite View (video).RefWorks Write-N-Cite (WNC) is a plug-in which can be downloaded from RefWorks from the Tools menu. It enables you to add citations while you are writing a document - you can then create the bibliography.All PCs in the Library and those in most department clusters have Write-N-Cite 4 pre-loaded.To install Write-N-Cite on your personal computer you must have administrator rights. There are versions of Write-N-Cite for PC and Mac - make sure you download the correct version.

Windows users may be given the option of downloading the 32bit or 64bit installation. In order to select the correct one you need to know if you are running the 32bit or 64bit version of Microsoft Office.Word 2013/2016: Open the File menu and select Account. Select the About Word button to find version details.Word 2010: Open the File menu and select Help. Version details are provided in the About Microsoft Word information.

Select Write-N-Cite from the Tools menu in RefWorks.

Select the correct installation version. Versions are available for Windows and Mac.

Click on the Download now button for the version of Write-N-Cite you wish to install and save the .exe file.

Make sure that Microsoft Word is not running before installing Write-N-Cite.

Once installation is complete a tab labelled ProQuest/RefWorks will appear in the Microsoft Word ribbon. Mac users may need to enable the ProQuest toolbar by clicking on the View menu and selecting Toolbars and ProQuest.

How to log in to Write-N-Cite

To access your references select the Log in button on the ProQuest/RefWorks tab, open the Log in from My Institution menu, select Imperial College London and enter your user credentials.

Syncing your references may take a minute or two.

Once you’ve logged in the name of the tab will change from ProQuest to RefWorks.

Alternatively you can log in by clicking on the Use Authorisation code link and pasting in the Login Code provided on the Write-N-Cite download page in RefWorks. The code expires after four hours, but a new code is always available from the Write-N-Cite download page in RefWorks.

Output styles

The RefWorks output style will determine the format of both your in-text citations (if you're using Write-N-Cite) and your reference list. The output style decides which fields will be displayed in your reference list, in what order, whether footnotes will be included and much more.

RefWorks has many hundreds of output styles to choose from. Before using RefWorks to generate your reference list you should check which output style your department prefers you to use. Using the wrong style may lose you marks.

Output styles can use different fields to format references. Therefore it's advisable to decide on your preferred output style as soon as possible rather than edit your reference list to ‘fit' an output style later on.

In RefWorks select Output Style Manager from the Bibliography menu.

Scroll down to view the list of styles available.

Select the style you require and use the arrows to add or remove it from your Favourites list.